Publication
> 'Characterization and Calibration of Novel
Semiconductor Detectors of Thermal Neutrons for
ESA Space Applications'
Characterization and Calibration of Novel
Semiconductor Detectors of Thermal Neutrons for
ESA Space Applications
Author
Year
2011
Scientific journal
IEEE NSS Proc. Conf. Record (2011) 400-404
Abstract
For the study and detection of neutrons in space
environments such as planetary and earth orbiting missions
semiconductor silicon diode detectors have been characterized
and calibrated at various thermal neutron sources. Two types of
diodes adapted for thermal neutron detection were investigated:
silicon MESA planar detectors equipped with thin 6LiF layers
and silicon heterodiodes with a layer of natural boron or
enriched 10B. The response and absolute detection efficiency have
been measured. The influence of bias voltage and converter layer
thickness were studied. As neutron sources we used a
homogenous isotropic thermal neutron field by a set of PuBe
radionuclide sources placed in a graphite pile as well as a parallel
thermal neutron beam with high Cd ratio (105) and suppressed
gamma background. Depending on the converter layer thickness
and/or boron layer thickness as well as the choice of the threshold
level, efficiencies of approximately 1% are obtained for both the
silicon diodes with thin 6LiF and the boron rich silicon detectors.
These values guarantee optimal stability of operation in remote
and different environments as well as maximum signal-to-noise
ratio by enhanced suppression of unwanted signals and gamma
background.
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Cite article as:
Z. Kohout, C. Granja, M. Králík, A. Owens, R. Venn, L. Jankowski, S. Pospíšil, B. Sopko, J. Vacík, "Characterization and Calibration of Novel
Semiconductor Detectors of Thermal Neutrons for
ESA Space Applications", IEEE NSS Proc. Conf. Record (2011) 400-404 (2011)